8.5.2011

D and I have been trying to use some of our accrued vacation time. We decided to work a half-day today, only instead of having the afternoon off as we usually do, we took the morning instead. We slept late (well, as late as Elora would let us). We ran a few errands and then D took me to lunch at Sweet Basil, which has become one of my favorite places. I haven't gotten up the nerve to try their curries yet. I'm such a wimp about Thai food because even their mildest spice makes my nose run like a faucet. But that's okay, I don't need to be adventurous in order to enjoy it. Their lemongrass tea and Amanda Chicken make me very happy.


I also stumbled across the most darling video of a Mariachi band serenading a Beluga whale and I haven't been able to stop smiling since. As D pointed out, it's a catchy tune they're playing too. I think he should bring his trumpet along the next time we visit the Georgia Aquarium.

7.10.2011

D and I have been making a pretty regular routine of attending the downtown Farmer's Market every Saturday morning. It's only about a mile from the house, so it makes a nice walk. We mostly go for tomatoes and we were lucky enough to find one farm that sells Cherokee Purples. They make the best tomato sandwiches, hands down. They're not really purple, but they are darker than regular tomatoes. I could live on them. Really. And the nice thing about the market is that there are farmers there who share the passion for good produce. In fact, one of them informed us he had salt in the truck if we needed to eat some tomatoes right away.


I was so excited about having those sandwiches for lunch that I couldn't wait to get to the market yesterday. We went early and I was prepared to buy the guy out. I wanted enough to last for the whole week (last week we were out by Wednesday). And what did we find when we arrived at his booth? Nada. Not one single Cherokee Purple to be had. I thought someone had beat me to his table but he admitted they were all sold to a restaurant. I was disappointed to say the least. I informed him that the only reason I came to market was for those tomatoes. He promised me he would have some next week.

The good part? D bought some sunflowers to cheer me up. I find it near to impossible to stay upset with a bouquet of summer sunflowers in my hand. They look just like a van Gogh painting.

3.9.2011

My banana-love caused me so much trouble this week. I present:

The Chick-fil-A Banana Pudding Milkshake

Made will real bananas and Nilla wafers...I was unable to resist (at least I gave a few slurps to D). I liked it better than the Banana milkshake I got from The Clock last month. Well, there really was no comparison. It made me think so much of Daddy - he would have loved it too. Thank goodness they're only selling it until June. Sigh. It's treadmill time.

5.1.2010

Not long ago I found myself enamoured with a certain trumpet player. No, not D. That was half a lifetime ago! Literally. Maybe I should start over.

I had decided to buy D a CD off his Amazon wishlist. Not for any particular reason, but just to surprise him and to remind him that I love him. So I began hunting around. There was a lot on there that I was familiar with. Of course, being in a seventeen-year relationship, we've been exposed to so much of the same stuff. But one name stuck out at me - Chris Botti. Some young horn player who became popular on the contemporary jazz circuit. I took a chance on him because he recorded My Funny Valentine, which is my absolute favorite jazz standard.


So it arrived and I gave it to D and he was surprised. Not that I had bought him something but that it was off his wishlist. Maybe he had just forgotten he had put it on there. Anyway, we listened to it over dinner one night and I wasn't that impressed. The next time I cooked, I put it on just for some ambiance. Then it got to where I wouldn't cook without it. I started putting it on repeat when I was doing dishes or straightening the house. I was listening to it over and over again. Now I'm listening to it in the car. I can and have listened to it all day long. On more than one occasion.

So I looked up his biography on Wikipedia. Botti played for Sting during his solo/jazz phase. I used to wonder why Sting changed his format. Now I know. Botti. This guy mellows me out like nothing else. When I play his music I just relax. Zone out into another dimension entirely. Which you would think might not be good for driving but because I get so nervous it balances out. My blood pressure must go down at least a few notches. His phrasing is amazing and he has great tone.

While I was listening to Botti this morning, making a tomato sauce (more on that later), it made me realize how much I miss D playing the trumpet. I understand why he plays euphonium in the orchestra. I'm constantly humbled by how D serves the church. But I do miss his trumpet and I was not cognizant of that before. So I don't feel guilty at all about my new music obsession. The only problem is that D's CD has become my CD and now my wishlist is full of Botti! Oh well. There are worse things...

Baby It's Cold Outside!

The thermometer outside of the kitchen said 26 degrees this morning! This time of year I always return to drinking hot tea. And today in the Green Dragon (virtual pub on LibraryThing) we got to discussing that very subject.

Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. Just had to get that out of my system. I am partial to Earl Grey. I do like it sweet but not as sweet as I used to. My favorite is Numi's Aged Earl Grey but it has caffeine so I usually drink Twining's Decaf Earl Gray, which I discovered at Cracker Barrel. I even have a box of Twining's Lady Gray in the pantry, although D's about to finish that one off.



Earlier this year D and I discovered Revolution's Dragon Eye Oolong at P.F. Changs. I'm not much for fruit teas, but I really enjoyed it. If only someone local sold it. I just can't make myself order it off the internet because you pay more for shipping then for the tea itself. If I'm a lucky girl, I might have some this weekend (are you reading this D?)



And if I feel in an herbal tea mood, which isn't often, I like Republic of Tea's Mint Fields and Celestial Seasoning's Peppermint.



Writing this post just made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I'm sure that won't last very long once I step outside!

A Few of my Favorite Things

This isn't Facebook but I'm listing my current status: Victoria is feeling very grateful.

I have a ton of Favorite Things. I'm not going to list them all because then I'll have to open the Pandora's box that is my Dark Chocolate addiction and I'm watching what I eat. Let's just suffice to say that I have a lot of Favorites. Recently two of the people close to me have blessed me with some of my favorite things.

Last week Mom gifted me with a subscription to a new magazine called Body + Soul. This magazine is me all over: life coaching, recycling, exercise, wellness, organic food, healthy recipes... I'm really, really enjoying it. It's been keeping me company on the treadmill. Just yesterday afternoon I was telling D that I needed to use up all those extra gingersnaps (from the sauerbraten) and lo and behold, last night I was reading a recipe that calls for a gingersnap crust. Perfect! THANKS MOM!



Yesterday we pulled in the driveway and I found a package on the doorstep. I hadn't ordered anything recently so I was really interested to see what it was. My darling Mother has sent me more Pumpkin Men! I wonder what the guy who ships her packages thinks of me. THANKS MOM!



This morning D made me one of my favorite breakfast items... Eggs Victoria. Quite simply it's toast with a piece of Velveeta and a sliced boiled egg with pepper on top. Yum. THANKS D!